Fascinating facts about leopards

Ready to discover some interesting facts about leopards ?

what makes Leopards so elusive? Why are they such secretive predators?

what sounds they make i.e. do they purr like domesticated cats?

what they prefer to eat,

the classic hunting techniques they use and

most importantly - what threatens their existence.

These African cats are the most common large cats in Africa - so it is ironic
that it is also the cat that is the most difficult to spot when you are
in the African bush.

This is due to the fact that they are rather shy, secretive and mainly nocturnal.

In game
reserves they have grown completely accustomed to vehicles but do not expect them too simply stroll across the road however.

Leopards have long been preyed upon by man for their beautiful fur coat which are used for clothing

These animals are very agile climbers and pound for pound, the
strongest climber of the large cats.

To spot them you will usually need
a pair of binoculars and scan the tree tops on the horizon.

As you look for them in trees, you may notice them often draped along thick tree limbs in an effort to escape the midday heat.

You
my also be lucky enough to see them feasting on a kill they dragged
aloft into a tree.

They do this to keep their prize safe from scavengers
such as hyenas.

Are these animals very territorial?

They are very solitary animals.

They defend territories against other leopards of the same sex but the territories of males overlap those of females.

They do seem to tolerate a certain level
of overlap with their neighbors.

Rivals appear to avoid each other
in some sort of "time-sharing system".

They advertise occupation of a territory by marking it with urine and faeces.

They also leave claw marks on the bark of trees and use vocal signals to mark their territory.

These
cats have astonishing powers of navigation and homing.

This capacity that
has hampered attempts to relocate them away from human settlement when
they become stock raiders.

What sounds do leopards make?

They have a distinctive contact call that sounds remarkably like a wood saw.

Like your domestic house cat, leopards purr when the feel content

This call allows territorial neighbors to keep away from each
other, and males and females to find each other.

These animals growl when aggressive and spit and snarl when they feel
threatened.

What do leopards eat?

One reason behind their success lies in their diet, which spans a very wide range.

They eat almost any vertebrate, including:

reptiles,

fish, and

mammals ranging in size from dung beetles and porcupines to kudu

In
the Kruger national park their diet consists of:

-29% impala,

-Burchells
zebra 16%,

-wildebeest 14%,

-warthog 13%

and porcupine 13%.

They however prefer medium-sized antelope like impalas.

It is well known they eat
more predators than do other carnivores, particularly jackals.

How do leopards hunt their prey?

The usual hunting technique is classically feline.

When it sights a
potential target it stalks forward with head low and legs bent making
clever use of cover.

These cats can run at about 35 miles per hour

This African animal will stalk a target over distances of a few
hundred meters, or wait in ambush if the target moves towards it.

Once
it is within a range of about 10 meters, this cat dashes forward and
uses the sharp, hooked claws of each forepaw to kill their prey.

The
killing bite is directed at the nape of the neck or at the throat.

Small prey such as mice, rats and small birds are simply swatted to
death with a single swipe of a paw.

Individual leopards can be distinguished by their unique spot patterns. Scientists are therefor able to monitor their number and movements over time.

Guts of large prey are pulled
out and discarded before it begins consuming its meals.

It uses its
incisor teeth to pluck birds and furry mammals such as rabbits.

Where there are many scavengers around the prey is carried up into a tree and wedged among the branches.

Their strength is demonstrated by their ability to carry carcasses weighing more than 50 kg up vertical tree trunks.

They readily eat rotten meat and will feed on a stored carcass for up to four days.

They scavenge if they get the chance and can steal kills from cheetahs, lone hyenas and any of the smaller carnivores.

How do leopards breed?

A female on heat attracts males by the smell of her urine.

The male and
female may stay together for several days, even sharing kills, and they
mate repeatedly over a few days.

Cubs are born in heavy cover or in caves.

They first accompany their
mothers on hunts at four months and usually make their first kills at
five months.

What are the best places to see them in Southern Africa?

Your best chances of spotting one in the African bush is somewhere in the:

Kruger National Park,

Kgaligadi Transfrontier Park or the

Moremi Game Reserve.

How endangered is this African animal ?

A long time ago these African animals lived in a big range which stretched from Siberia to South Africa.

Today however, theses cats have relinquished up to 75 percent of their original range. A recent paper published in May 2016 in the scientific journal PeerJ contains a detailed analysis of their status.

Because this is such a difficult animal to track it has taken scientists a long time to recognize their global decline in numbers.

The leopard is an amazingly adaptable species but several subspecies are currently on the brink of extinction

The biggest threats to them are habitat conversion for agriculture and other human development. They are persecuted by humans because of their conflict with livestock-keepers as well as game farm owners.

They are also targeted in the illegal trade in skins and body parts as well as some trophy hunting.